"I went to Maui to stay a week and remained five"-S.C.

So Tyler is making a point to prove how cultured he is through book and movie reviews. I thought I could do the same. But I should probably make a disclaimer that I'm not very critical of things like movies, even if they are just not that good. So... it probably won't be that interesting, but oh well. But here goes:

As I was walking home in the icy cold snow the other day, my mind wandered to a warmer time. Balmy air laced with tropical scents, the buzzing of a few harmless island insects, in the distance the rhythmic waves crashed, time seems to move slower, and everyone moves along with it. I sat in a cool, air-conditioned room with a skirt and flip flops, and my hair loosely braided. Although indoors, the scent of the air was still distinctly tropical, Pacific. This was Hawaii. During Spring, for my Pacific Regionalism class, we were asked to read the book "The Paradise Conspiracy" by the good sir Ian Wishart. I couldn't check it out, so I had to visit the library and sit and read it there, but somehow, that was suiting. But anyway, about the book: it's a true story about tax fraud in New Zealand and an investigative journalist (Wishart) who seeks the shady truth. The book reads well, although the convoluted jargon is at times hard to follow for someone who knows very little regarding the subject matter, such as myself. The whole idea is very romantic: small tax havens on islands like Cook Islands and big business scams sucking millions, if not billions, of NZ$ from the Queen's good Island to ciphon it off into their own pockets. The story is filled with twists, villains, lies, deceit, money, conspiracy (duh), murder, blackmailing, and of course, beautiful tropical paradises in which all of these escapades may take place. I don't know if I would have appreciated this book as much out of the context of Hawaii, but if one ever finds oneself on a tropical isle with a free afternoon, I would suggest picking it up.
On a related note, I really think there is something so fantastic about reading a book related to the place one is. That is why, should anyone be in Hawaii, or at the very least itching to get over there, they should pick up "Mark Twain's Letters from Hawaii." There's not much to say; it's Mark Twain. He's simply charming, in a witty, forward sort of way. He's a romantic at heart as well, and beautifully paints his experience with words. It was like he knew what I was thinking about my time in Hawaii (both good and bad) and put it in words so perfect that I could have never done the task myself, but needed to employ the good man Samuel Clemens to help me out. Reading this outside on the beach, or a bench during a light tropical storm was just perfect. So I think both these books are excellent for travel, or simply for a cold winter when one longs for humid beaches, crystal clear waters, and a good pineapple drink. Ah, reminiscing.
And now, back to writing my paper on the structural geology of the Bridal Veil Falls fold in Provo Canyon...